Method and apparatus for reducing turbulence to increase the density of the material within a container being packed



Aug. 26, 947. E. D. ANDREWS 2,426,574

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REDUCING TURBULENCE 'ro INCREASE THE DENSITY OF THE MATERIAL WITHIN A CONTAINER BEING PACKED Filed June 18, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 molt EDWARD D ANDREWS Aug. 26, 1947. E. n. ANDREWS 2,425,574

IBTHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REDUCING TURBULHNCE TO INCREASE THE DENSITY OF THE IATERIAL WITHIN A CONTAINER BEING PACKED Filed June 18. 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 H I z u I! x n 57 7 38 EDWARD I1 ANDREWS A; UQQIW Aug. 26, 1947. E. D. ANDREWS 4 2,426,574

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REDUCING TURBULENCE TO INCREASE THE DENSITY OF THE MATERIAL WITHIN A CONTAINER BEING PACKED Filed June 18, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 EDWARD D ANDREWS Patented Aug. 26, 1947 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REDUCING TURBULENCE TO INCREASE THE DENSITY OF THE MATERIAL WITHIN A CONTAINER BEING PACKED Edward D. Andrews, Akron, Ohio, assignor to The Quaker Oats Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation a! New Jersey Application June 18, 1943, Serial No. 491,405

14 Claims. (CL 228-25) The present invention relates to the packaging of materials and, while the machine and the principles involved in the new method may be widely applied, the invention has for its primary object the packaging of loose compressible material or. commodities such as rolled oats, meal, feeds and similar food products. The purpose of the invention is principally to save space in the packaged material without injury or impairment of the product. At the same time the more compact filling oi the containers makes a firmer and better package which will ofler substantially greater resistance to breakage.

As an example of the efiiciency oi the invention. it has been found by actual test runs that in packaging rolled cats the standard chipboard container which normally hold twenty ounces of rolled oats will by the new method and machine hold three to three and a halt pounds without injury to the product. The walls oi the container are firm and solid and it can be handled and shipped with less precautions against breakage. There is no subsequent expansion or tendency of the material to expand for the carton may be removed and the material will retain the form imparted by the container, although it may be broken by crushing in the hand.

Briefly stated the invention comprises certain radical improvements in what is known in the trade as auger packing. In thi type 01 packaging the feeding of the material is by means of a. rotating auger which feeds the material through a packing tube into a bag or container which fits closely around the packing tube and is supported upon a platform which retreats against a friction means from the force exerted upon the stream of material as it is fed into the container. By present methods of anger packing it is impossible to secure a substantially greater density of the material than that which would be obtained by gravity and then bouncing the package on the floor to settle the contents. It has been proposed to secure more compact filling oi the cartons by pressing down on the contents of the carton after it has been filled, but this has proved unsatisfactory as it is practically impossible to secure any substantial reduction in volume.

In attempting to improve upon auger packaging as it is now practiced, the resistance to the downward travel of the table was increased, it being supposed that by such means the density of the material could be increased, but it was found that this did not appreciably increase the density obtained by the old practice. due to the 2 hot that the mass of loose material above the auger merely churned about and the force exerted by the auger was not suiiicient to overcome the resistance set up. By the introduction of means to prevent the milling action oi the material above the auger it was found that greatly increased compression of the material was attained.

The best known and improved method and machine i'or accomplishing the desired result is shown and described herein, it being understood that the underlying principles of the invention may be embodied in other iorms and modifications from that shown herein. It will also be understood that while the invention is illustrated as applied particularly to the packaging of the commodity in cylindrical cartons, the invention may be extended to other shapes of cartons and to the packaging of materials in bags or sacks.

In the drawings in which a typical packaging machine for accomplishing the purpose of the invention i shown:

Fig. l is a front elevation oi a machine showing the carton supporting table in its lowermost position when an empty carton is placed in the machine;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through a carton at the beginning of the packaging operation on the line 3-3 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 4 is a similar section showing the carton partially filled;

Fig. 5 is a section in the line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a section similar to Fig. 3, but showing a modified tom of the invention;

Fig. 7 is a detail section on the line 1-4 0! Fig. l; and

Fig. 8 is a section in the line 8-8 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings a usual cylindrical chipboard container is shown at 5. It is located for filling in a holder or sheath 6 fastened to a vertically movable table or platform I. The holder is shown as a spring metal cylinder which is split vertically so that it may be expanded to receive and discharge the carton. A swinging latch 8 extends across the meeting edges of the holder so that when the holder is closed the carton is firmly held against the pressure of the material. This is necessary to prevent the bursting of the carton under the force exerted by the filling operation.

The table I is mounted for vertical movement on two slides Ill which are movable in channels formed in uprights l2 which constitute the frame of the machine. It is possible to regulate the travel of the table as it is forced to retreat under the pressure of the incoming material by counterweights or by any suitable braking apparatus, but for the preferred form of the invention the table is positively moved in definite relation to the speed of rotation of the auger, as will be described. The relation between the speed of the auger and the travel of the table determines the density of the material.

Across the uprights above the table at a sufficient distance so that the top of the carton will clear the feed tube are the brackets I4 supporting a plate l5 from the center of which depends the feed or packing tube l6 which is a rigid tubing of a size to flt closely within the carton and is in register therewith as it is located on the table. When the table is raised to the upper limit of its travel the tube will extend to the bottom of the carton as shown in Fig. 3, being slightly tapered to facilitate its entrance into the carton. The upper end of the packing tube is in communication with the delivery spout ll which conducts a measured charge of the meal or other material to the tube It just before the packing operation is started. Devices for measuring and delivering charges of material in timed relation to the operation of the auger are well known and any standard mechanism for this p lst: may be employed.

Located on the axis of the packing tube is the shaft 20 of the filling and packing auger which is of the usual or standard form consisting of two spiral screw blades 22 fixed to the lower end of the shaft and located slightly above the mouth of the tube 16.

In the operation a carton is placed in the holder and the table raised until the carton and the packing tube are completely telescoped. At this time the charge 01. material is fed into th e tube l6 above the rotating auger and the table is slowly lowered at the predetermined rate, permitting the material to be packed at the desired density. The auger is preferably rotated continuously. It is possible, however, to rotate the auger intermittently in which case the material may be fed continuously to the auger. When the charge is completely fed into the carton and the table is fully lowered the filled carton is removed and placed upon an oil-bearing belt 25.

In the customary operation of auger packing the container withdraws at a speed comparable with the speed at which the column of loose material passes to the auger. In my improved method, however, the rate of withdrawal of the container is much slower than the rate at which the column of material would normally pass to the auger, the rate of withdrawal of the container determining the density of the contents of the filled container.

Unless means are provided for preventing the turbulence or rotation of the material directly above the auger there would be little increase in density no matter how slowly the table was moved downwardly. It is only by the provision of means to prevent this movement of the material above the auger that the purposes of the invention are achieved. The invention may be effected in a variety of ways, all of which are designed to project into the mass of material directly above the auger and thus prevent the rotation or turbulence in the column immediately above the auger.

The preferred means for accomplishing the invention is by the provision of a stationary sleeve 28 which is mounted on the plate I5 and surrounds the auger shaft. The sleeve 28 carries at its lower end three equally spaced vanes or baffles 29,

the lower edges of which are located just above the auger and extend outwardly to apolnt near the inner surface of the packing tube i6. An alternative of this arrangement is to attach a number of vanes 30 to the interior of the packing tube and extending close to the auger shaft 20 as shown in Fig. 6.

It will be observed that the vanes or baflles 29 or 3|! divide or subdivide the column of material in the zone immediately above the auger into a plurality of substantially distinct columns or subdivisions. It is not necessary for the achievement of the results set forth that the ballles extend completely across the space between the auger shaft and the wall of the packing tube, and it will be understood that where the expressions divide "subdivide are employed in the claims,

they are intended to cover any substantially complete subdivision of the column of material at the zone where it enters the auger.

Th same result may conceivably be accomplished by a number of other means, the essential feature being the provision of baliles or vanes in the column of material directly above the auger.

It has been found that three vanes of the proportions shown work admirably but the number may be reduced or increased, but with less satisfactor results on the materials specified. It is possible that in packaging other materials the number or configuration of the baffles should be altered. Too many vanes may result in pulverizing or breaking up the particles of the meal excessively. Theoretically the auger cuts a space from the bottom of the column of material conlined in the packing tube and resting upon the auger, but as the column of material dealt with here is not solid but is a finely divided mass with no cohesion between the particles the only force drawing it into the auger is gravity and when this force is resisted by a greater force such as represented by the resistance of the table to downward movement, the material ceases to feed and a zone of turbulence or rotation is set up above the auger and the material merely mills about at the bottom of the column. The vanes or bailles stop the rotation or turbulence of the ma terial above the auger and as a result the material is fed positively into the auger and almost any desired density may be obtained. It is also possible to speed up the rotation of the auger beyond anything which has heretofore been thought possible or practicable. By dampening or counteracting the turbulence above the auger, meals or flour made from such starch grains as wheat, corn, oats and the like, which in the natural state have approximately the same density, may be compressed to a density of 1.55 cubic inches to the ounce as contrasted with 3.80 to 4.00 cubic inches per ounce.

It has also been found byactual tests that while it has been necessary heretofore to provide augers with different pitches for packaging products of different textures, when a machine is equipped with the improvements specified herein, the same auger will work satisfactorily on a wide variety of materials of greatly differing textures and densities.

So far as is known the results specified have never been achieved in machines or methods for packing cereals, meals, flours, grains or like materials. and it is quite conceivable that the principles of the invention may be even more widely employed for packaging other materials.

The further details of a complete machine 8 which has been employed in racticing the method of packaging will now be given.

Supported at the rear of the uprights is a bracket 32 upon which is mounted the motor 33, which through the belts I4 and pulleys 3| propels the main driving shaft 36 mounted in bearings on brackets 38. On the shaft 38 is secured a double pulley 40 which through belts 4| drives the corresponding pulley 42 on a shaft ll mounted in brackets 45 on the rear of the machine frame. This shaft has a centrally located spiral gear 46 which meshes with a gear 41 mounted on a vertical shaft ll, the upper end of which is iournalled in a bearing 49 on a cross beam ill at the top of the machine. The shaft 48 extends through a lower cross beam 5| and is connected by a coupling 52 with the upper end of the auger shaft 20.

On the top of the frame are located aligned housings 55 in which is mounted the shaft 56 which drives the table raising and lowering mechanism. This shaft is arranged to be driven at slow and fast speeds, the former or slow speed being employed when the table is lowered during the filling operation. The fast speed is for raising the table to locate a fresh carton in its filling position. For the fast speed there is provided on the shaft 56 a pulley 58 connected by a belt 59 directly to a pulley 60 on the shaft 38. For the slow speed, the shaft 36 carries a pinion 8| which meshes with and drives a. large pinion 62 fixed to a shaft 63 rotated in bearings on upper brackets 54. A pulley 65 on shaft 63 is connected by belt 61 with the slow speed pulley 68 on the shaft 56. The shaft 56 is connected to either the fast or slow pulley by a sliding clutch member 12 located between the two ulleys and actuated by any suitable control, here shown as a hand lever 65.

On each end of the shaft 58 is a mitre gear Iii which meshes with a similar mitre gear H located over the uprights l2. Each mitre gear is threaded to a vertical shaft 14 which extends downwardly along the upright and is coupled to an extension 11 from its table supporting slide ll,

When the table is raised and the elements in the position shown in Fig. 3, the auger is rotating rapidly and after the charge of material is deposited in the packing tube and the packaging operation started the slow pulley 68 is connected to the shaft 55 so that the table will retreat slowly at the predetermined rate until the carton is filled and the table has moved sufficiently to permit the top of the carton to clear the lower end of the packing tube. After the filled carton has been removed from the holder 6 and a new carton put in its place, the clutch is shifted to the high speed pulley 58 and the table raised to its uppermost position. It will be appreciated that automatic stops may be provided for arresting the movement of the table at its upper and lower limits of travel, but such devices are not shown as they may be of any appropriate character.

The invention is not limited to the use of a single auger for each container, as multiple augers may be used, particularly if the container is neither round nor square.

It will be appreciated that the details of the machine are illustrative merely and that the design may be modified or improved by any skilled machine designer without departing from the principles of the invention. In order to designate the wide range of feeds, flours, meals etc. which may be packaged by the method and machine I described the generic term "cereals" is used in some of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of packaging loose compressible materials at high densities. comprising supporting a column of the material on an auger and confining it within a packing tube, locating a container in telescopic relation to the packing tube. rotating the auger, withdrawing the container while the material is being fed into the container by the anger at a speed which will create a resistance to the passage of the material through the auger which is in excess of the force exerted by the movement of the material as it is propelled by the auger, and increasing the density of the material within the container by reducing turbulence in the column of material directly above the auger.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 in which the reduction of turbulence is secured by subdividing the column of material.

3. The method of packagin loose compressible materials, comprising supporting a confined column of the material on an auger, locating a container in telescopic relation to the auger, simultaneously rotating the auger and withdrawing the container and preventing turbulence in the column of material directly above the auger so that the density of the material within the container is increased.

4. The method of packaging loose compressible materials, comprising supporting a confined column of the material on an auger, locating a container in telescopic relation to the auger, simultaneously rotating the auger and withdrawing the container and preventing turbulence in the column of material directly above the auger and increasing the density of the material within the container by subdividing the column in a zone adjacent the auger.

5. The method of packaging loose compressible materials, comprising feeding a confined column of material by a rotating auger, locating a container in telescopic relation to the auger, counteracting turbulence in the column of material adjacent the receiving side of the auger, and withdrawing the container during the feeding operation at a speed which will cause the material to be compacted within the container.

6. The method of packaging loose compressible materials, comprising feeding a confined column of material by a rotating auger, locating a container in telescopic relation to the auger, preventing turbulence in the column of material ad- Jacent the receiving side of the auger by dividing the column and withdrawing the container during the feeding operation at a speed which will cause the material to be compacted within the container.

7. Apparatus for packaging loose compressible material, comprising an anger, a packing tube surrounding the auger, a table for supporting a container in telescopic relation to the tube, means for rotating the auger and withdrawing the table, and a baffle located across the packing tube adjacent the receiving side of the auger.

8. Apparatus for packaging loose compressible material, comprising an auger, means for feeding a confined column of the material to the auger, a support for holding a container in telescopic relation to the auger, means for rotating the auger, means for withdrawing the container support as the auger rotates, and means for vertically dividing the column of material located in the zone through which the material passes immediately before it enters the auger.

9. Apparatus for packlsing loose compressible material, comprising an anger, means for feeding a confined column of the material to-the au er. a support for holding a container in telescopic relation to the auger. means for. rotating the auger, means for withdrawing the container support operated in timed relation to the rotation of the auger, and means located in the column of material for reducing the turbulence in the zone adjacent the auger so that the density of the packaged material within the container is increased.

10. Apparatus in accordance with claim 9 in which the means for reducing the turbulence comprises a plurality oi vertical vanes extending across the column of material.

11. An apparatus for packaging loose cereals, comprising means for feeding a column oi material, an auger located at the base 01' the column. means for rotating the auger, a table for holding a container in telescopic relation tothe anger at the beginning of the filling operation, said table being capable of withdrawing as the container is filled, and bailles so located in the column of materialin the cone immediately above the auger as to counteract turbulence in the material as it is about to enter the auger and thereby increas ing the density of the material within the container.

12. An apparatus for packaging loose cereals, comprising means for feeding a column of material, a tube to receive the material, a reciprocable for holding a container in telescopic relation to the tube at the beginning of the filling operation, a rotatable anger in the tube, means ior withdrawing the table in timed relation to the rotation of the auger as the container is filled, and a bailing means so located in the tube above the anger as to prevent turbulence or rotation oi. the column of material and increase the density of the material within the container.

13. An apparatus in accordance with claim 12 in which the baiiiing means comprises a plurality oi vertical vanes.

14. An apparatus in accordance with claim 12 provided with means for returning the table to filling position at an accelerated speed.

EDWARD D. ANDREWS.

REFERENCES crrun The following references are oi. record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 936,792 Merritt Act. 12, 1909 591,260 Koelner Oct. 5, 1897 682,390 Schrader Sept. 10, 1901 1,062,741 Sieber May 27, 1913 1,683,949 Bergdoll Sept. 11. 1928 1,795,588 Wilson Mar. 10, 1931 366,167 Howell July 5, 1887 815,091 Jones et al Mar. 13, 1906 2,136,224 Weinreich Nov. 8, 1938 Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,426,574.

August 26, 1947.

EDWARD D. ANDREWS It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requirin correction as follows: Column 8, line 2, after the syllable cable insert table; and t at the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oflice.

Signed and sealed this 11th day of November, A. D. 1947.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Oommim'oner of Patents.

zone through which the material passes immediately before it enters the auger.

9. Apparatus for packlsing loose compressible material, comprising an anger, means for feeding a confined column of the material to-the au er. a support for holding a container in telescopic relation to the auger. means for. rotating the auger, means for withdrawing the container support operated in timed relation to the rotation of the auger, and means located in the column of material for reducing the turbulence in the zone adjacent the auger so that the density of the packaged material within the container is increased.

10. Apparatus in accordance with claim 9 in which the means for reducing the turbulence comprises a plurality oi vertical vanes extending across the column of material.

11. An apparatus for packaging loose cereals, comprising means for feeding a column oi material, an auger located at the base 01' the column. means for rotating the auger, a table for holding a container in telescopic relation tothe anger at the beginning of the filling operation, said table being capable of withdrawing as the container is filled, and bailles so located in the column of materialin the cone immediately above the auger as to counteract turbulence in the material as it is about to enter the auger and thereby increas ing the density of the material within the container.

12. An apparatus for packaging loose cereals, comprising means for feeding a column of material, a tube to receive the material, a reciprocable for holding a container in telescopic relation to the tube at the beginning of the filling operation, a rotatable anger in the tube, means ior withdrawing the table in timed relation to the rotation of the auger as the container is filled, and a bailing means so located in the tube above the anger as to prevent turbulence or rotation oi. the column of material and increase the density of the material within the container.

13. An apparatus in accordance with claim 12 in which the baiiiing means comprises a plurality oi vertical vanes.

14. An apparatus in accordance with claim 12 provided with means for returning the table to filling position at an accelerated speed.

EDWARD D. ANDREWS.

REFERENCES crrun The following references are oi. record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 936,792 Merritt Act. 12, 1909 591,260 Koelner Oct. 5, 1897 682,390 Schrader Sept. 10, 1901 1,062,741 Sieber May 27, 1913 1,683,949 Bergdoll Sept. 11. 1928 1,795,588 Wilson Mar. 10, 1931 366,167 Howell July 5, 1887 815,091 Jones et al Mar. 13, 1906 2,136,224 Weinreich Nov. 8, 1938 Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,426,574.

August 26, 1947.

EDWARD D. ANDREWS It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requirin correction as follows: Column 8, line 2, after the syllable cable insert table; and t at the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oflice.

Signed and sealed this 11th day of November, A. D. 1947.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Oommim'oner of Patents. 

